Carton for receiving and sealing an inner bag

Abstract

A carton for receiving and sealing an inner bag is provided. The carton, for example a cereal box, includes flexible tabs thereon oriented to engage a sealing fold selectively formed in a flexible bag received within the container. In the preferred embodiment, the flexible tab is formed by rupturing a portion in the sidewall of the container, along a tear-line provided therein. In an alternate embodiment, the flexible tab is formed from a modified flap mounted on an upper edge of the container. In still other alternate embodiments, containers with multiple flexible tabs for clamping an inner received bag shut, are presented. In all embodiments, the flexible tab or tabs provide clamping shut of the internally received bag by generally pinching a sealing fold, formed in the bag, between the tab(s) and an inner wall of the container.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows: 
     
       1. A carton for receiving and retaining an inner, flexible, bag in a sealed orientation; said carton comprising: (a) a container having a sidewall portion with an interior wall surface and an interior, bag-receiving, chamber;   (b) a flexible tab mounted on said container; (i) said flexible tab being oriented to selectively engage an upper sealing fold in a flexible bag received within said container chamber and to press the sealing fold against the interior wall surface, to selectively maintain the sealing fold in a folded and sealed orientation;     (c) whereby, following opening of the flexible bag, the carton may be used to reseal and contain the flexible bag, by means of said tab securing and maintaining the sealing fold in the bag.   
     
     
       2. A carton according to claim 1 wherein: (a) said sidewall portion includes a generally planar sidewall face; and   (b) said flexible tab comprises a flap formed in said sidewall face and hingedly attached thereto; (i) said flap being selectively deformable to project generally inwardly of said container, from said sidewall;   (ii) said flap including a hinged portion generally tending to resist deformation of said flap to project inwardly from said sidewall;     (c) whereby a tendency of said flap hinged portion to resist projection of said flap inwardly of said sidewall face facilitates the sealing of the bag by enabling the sealing fold in the bag to become pinched between the flap and the wall inner surface.   
     
     
       3. A carton according to claim 2 wherein: (a) said container includes a container base; and   (b) said flap comprises a generally crescent shaped extension, in said sidewall face, having a generally convex edge; (i) said convex edge projecting upwardly as said container stands on said container base;     (c) whereby said bag sealing fold is engaged by passing said sealing fold over said convex edge and pressing said sealing fold against said wall inner surface.   
     
     
       4. A carton according to claim 2 wherein: (a) said container includes a container base; and   (b) said flap comprises a generally crescent shaped extension, in said sidewall face, having a generally convex edge; (i) said convex edge projecting downwardly as said container stands on said container base;     (c) whereby said bag sealing fold is engaged by pressing said fold upwardly to a position between said flap and said wall inner surface.   
     
     
       5. A carton for receiving and retaining an inner, flexible, bag in a sealed orientation; said carton comprising: (a) a container having a base, a sidewall portion with an upper edge and an interior wall, and an interior, bag-receiving chamber; and   (b) a foldable flap hingedly mounted on said sidewall portion upper edge; (i) said foldable flap being foldable to project generally inwardly and downwardly in said interior, bag-receiving, chamber;   (ii) said foldable flap having a bag sealing fold engaging portion thereon oriented to selectively engage and pinch a sealing fold on the inner bag between the foldable flap and the sidewall portion interior wall;     (c) whereby, following opening of the flexible bag, the carton may be used to selectively reseal and contain the flexible bag, by means of said flap securing and maintaining a sealing fold selectively put in the bag.   
     
     
       6. A carton according to claim 5 wherein: (a) said container has a generally rectangular cross-section with a front wall with an interior side, a rear wall and first and second opposite endwalls;   (b) said foldable flap comprises a generally rectangular tab hingedly mounted on an end wall upper end; (i) said bag sealing fold engaging portion of said foldable flap comprising a truncated corner of said tab oriented toward said front wall interior side;     (c) whereby the sealing fold in the bag may be selectively trapped between said tab and said front wall by selectively folding said tab inwardly and downwardly in said container until said truncated corner of said tab sufficiently engages the bag sealing fold to pinch same against the front wall.   
     
     
       7. A carton for receiving and retaining an inner, flexible, bag in a sealed orientation; said carton comprising: (a) a container having a base, a sidewall portion with an upper edge, and an interior, bag-receiving chamber; and   (b) first and second foldable flaps hingedly mounted on said sidewall portion upper edge; (i) said foldable flaps each being foldable to project generally inwardly and downwardly in said interior, bag-receiving, chamber;   (ii) said foldable flaps each having a bag sealing fold engaging portion thereon oriented to selectively engage and pinch a sealing fold on the inner bag between the foldable flap and the sidewall portion;     (c) whereby, following opening of the flexible bag, the carton may be used to selectively reseal and contain the flexible bag, by means of said flaps securing and maintaining a sealing fold selectively put in the bag.   
     
     
       8. A carton for receiving and retaining an inner, flexible, bag in a sealed orientation; said carton comprising: (a) a container having a base, a sidewall portion, and an interior, bag-receiving, chamber; (i) said sidewall portion including a generally planar sidewall with an interior surface;     (b) a plurality of flexible tabs mounted on said container; said flexible tabs each comprising a tab formed in said sidewall face and hingedly attached thereto; (i) each of said tabs being selectively deformable to project generally inwardly of said container, from said sidewall interior surface;   (ii) said tabs each including a hinged portion generally tending to resist deformation of said tab to project inwardly from said sidewall interior surface;     (c) whereby the tendency of said tab hinged portions to resist projection of said tabs inwardly facilitates sealing the bag received within said container by enabling a sealing fold formed in the bag to become pinched between at least one of said tabs and said sidewall interior surface.   
     
     
       9. A carton according to Claim 8 wherein: (a) at least two of said tabs are horizontally aligned in said sidewall face to selectively, generally simultaneously, engage the bag sealing fold and pinch same closed at two positions thereon.   
     
     
       10. A carton for receiving and retaining an inner, flexible, bag in a sealed orientation; said carton comprising: (a) a container having a base, a sidewall portion, and interior, bag-receiving, chamber; (i) said sidewall portion incuding a sidewall face with a tear-line therein; said tear-line defining a flexible tab selectively formable by rupturing of said sidewall face along said tear-line;     (b) said flexible tab comprising a flap formed in said sidewall face and hingedly attached thereto; (i) said flap being selectively deformable to project generally inwardly of said container from said sidewall face;   (ii) said flap including a hinged portion generally tending to resist deformation of said flap to project inwardly from said sidewall face;     (c) whereby a bag received within said container interior chamber may be selectively retained in a sealed condition by folding an open end of said bag into a sealing fold and pinching said sealing fold between said flap and said sidewall face.   
     
     
       11. A method of retaining a previously opened bag in a sealed condition within a container; said method including the steps of: (a) providing a container having a base, and an inner chamber partially formed from an inner sidewall portion;   (b) providing a bag, to be retained, with a sealing fold enclosing a previously opened end thereof;   (c) retaining the bag within said container inner chamber, with the sealing fold generally oriented on an upper end of the bag;   (d) providing a selectively rupturable tear-line in said sidewall portion; (i) said tear-line defining a flexible tab oriented, upon rupturing of said tear line, to engage the bag sealing fold and trap same between said tab and said container sidewall portion;     (e) rupturing said tear-line to form said flexible tab; and   (f) pinching said bag sealing fold between said tab and said sidewall portion, whereupon said bag sealing fold is retained against said inner sidewall portion.